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Jackson attended Neumann-Goretti High School, where he played with future Syracuse teammate Scoop Jardine.[1] Neuman-Goretti won the Philadelphia Catholic League championship and was ranked No. 24 ranking in the final 2006 USA Today poll. That season, Jackson averaged 15 points per game and was named AP All-State Class AAAA second team.

Jackson played on Team USA at the semi-annual (Under 18) Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Mannheim, Germany in 2006. He led the squad with 17.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.[2] In the seventh-place game against host Germany, Jackson scored a game high 25 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked five shots.[3]

Jackson appeared in all 35 of Syracuse's games in his freshman year, with averages of 3.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, highlighted by a seven-point, eight-rebound performance against Providence.[4]

Jackson would join the starting lineup in his sophomore season against Memphis on December 20, 2008, scoring 14 points to go along with seven rebounds.[5] On January 14, 2009, Jackson scored 17 points to go along with seven rebounds in an 88-74 loss to Georgetown.[6] Jackson would follow that performance up with 13 points and 10 rebounds as No. 8 Syracuse topped No. 12 Notre Dame, 93-74. Jackson was also solid defensively, helping to hold All-American Luke Harangody to 9-for-28 shooting from the floor.[7][8]

Jackson would continue in the starting lineup in his junior season. On December 10, 2009 Jackson scored a career high 21 points to go along with 11 rebounds against then-No. 10 Florida.[9] Two games later, he would score 18 points and grab 10 rebounds against St. Bonaventure.[10] For the season he averaged 9.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game.

Jackson, the lone Senior on the team led the Orange to a 28-7 regular season record. He was named Big East defensive player of the year. Jackson finished the season leading the league in rebounds, field goal percentage and blocked shots. His rebounding numbers ranked him seventh nationally. The field goal percentage placed him 14th in the country. The blocked shots, No. 21 nationally. Jackson’s 17 double-doubles ties him for eighth place on the national stage. With his production, Jackson was left off of the Big East first team and the league decided to go with six guards. Jackson wound up making the second team in the Big East.

He is the son of Rick Jackson Sr and Joyce Thomas. He has four siblings and attended Syracuse University. He also has a cousin named Juwan Campbell, a former South Philadelphia high school basketball star.